McDowell County seeks engineers for next phase of Jolo waterline project

The McDowell County Public Service District is looking for engineering and architectural firms to carry the Jolo Waterline Extension Project into Phase V, a move that pushes the long-running effort closer to construction and farther from the planning stage.

The request for proposals covers a wide job list: preliminary engineering and planning, updates to engineering reports, environmental review and permitting help, surveying and geotechnical work, plans and specifications, cost estimates and scheduling, easements and right-of-way support, coordination with funding agencies, bid-document preparation, construction administration, inspection, and final record drawings and closeout documentation. The notice says the work must follow West Virginia Code § 5G-1-4 and federal requirements under 2 CFR Part 200.

Funding partners tied to the project include the United States Economic Development Administration, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization Program, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council. That mix of agencies signals that the project has already cleared major financing hurdles and is now being lined up for final design and delivery.

The stakes are plain in Jolo and the surrounding roads. A February 13, 2026, state announcement said the project would receive $2.014 million in AMLER money to install more than 60,000 feet of new waterline and provide reliable drinking water to 119 new connections, including five businesses. A separate 2024 funding announcement said McDowell County PSD had received an $851,000 grant to extend service to 119 homes in the Jolo area, specifically along Lex, Rock Ridge, Baker Ridge, and Panther Creek Roads, and said that money, together with EDA funding, brought the project total to $4.3 million.

By January, local reporting said design work for Phase V was nearly complete and the district hoped to put the work out to bid in the summer. The PSD has also said its customer base could rise to about 3,600 once the new connections are complete, underscoring how much this one waterline matters to the county’s utility system and its future growth.

McDowell County Commission President Michael Brooks has framed the need in blunt terms. “We need water today,” he said, while praising the state funding that has kept the project moving. For families, small businesses and undeveloped parcels in the Jolo area, the next engineer selected could help determine whether this becomes another planning milestone or the start of real construction.